In the past, passenger buses, especially school buses, featured seats with relatively low backs which allowed the driver in the front of the bus to observe the occupants in every seat in the bus using a mirror mounted in the front of the bus. For safety reasons, newer busses and passenger vehicles now feature seats with raised seat backs so as to prevent neck injuries to occupants in the event of a collision. These new high-back seats, however, make it impossible for the driver to observe passengers seated toward the rear of the bus using an overhead mirror mounted over the windshield. It has been observed, especially in school buses, that when the occupants know the driver cannot observe their activities, vandalism such as destruction of the upholstery on the bus seats increases dramatically.
In the past, mirrors have been installed at the rear of the bus in an attempt to monitor occupant's activities and limit vandalism. Unfortunately, since the back of the bus is prone to substantial vibration forces transmitted from the engine and the suspension system, mirrors previously installed in the rear of buses have vibrated so much when the bus was in motion that the driver was unable to get a clear picture of the occupants seated in the rear. Accordingly, although the mirrors mounted in the bus may have been an initial psychological deterrent to vandalism, as soon as the occupants realized that the mirror mounted at the rear of the bus vibrated to such an extent as to prevent the driver from viewing their activities, the deterrent factor was lost. Accordingly, one of the objects of the invention is to provide a mounting system for a mirror to be mounted in the back of a bus which will significantly isolate the mirror from the vibrations of the bus body thereby allowing the driver a clear view of the occupants in the rear of the bus.